Shaping the competitive advantages of travel agencies over online services in today’s environment

The object of the study is the modern tourism and hospitality industry, which has faced significant losses and transformations over the past few years. Changes in the service system, transition to new standards, introduction of digital and online technologies in operations, etc. are affecting both industry players and consumer preferences. While some consumers only use the services of professional travel organisers, others travel on their own, preferring independent tourism. The article examines major trends in the tourism industry, reviews the market and gives recommendations on what challenges and opportunities to create a competitive advantage over online resources, aggregators in the fight for the consumer should pay attention to travel agencies as one of the key players in the market of travel services.

TURISTIČKO PUTOVANjE PREMA NOVOM SRPSKOM ZAKONU O ZAŠTITI POTROŠAČA

In September 2021. the Republic of Serbia adopted the new Law on consumer protection which, on the one hand, represents a step further in harmonization of the Serbian consumer rights with the consumer rights of EU while, on the other hand it is also on advanced step in better quality of protection of Serbian consumers, bearing in mind the specific issues in Serbian legistature in general and the needs and the situation in practice. A part of this law deals also with the protection of consumers in a chieving their rights from the agreement on tourst travel. The Law on consumer protection (2021) implements Directive EU on package travel and linked travel arrangements (2015/2302). In addition to the harmonization required, as the travel service market experiences significant changes, especially because of the internet, that is, the fact that with the increasing number of the internet users the travel services are provided by the internet more often as well as establishment of new combinations of travel services, new legal solutions became necessary which resulted in obligatory further protection of travelers

Factors Affecting the Implementation of Green Tourism in Da Nang City

This article describes the impact of factors affecting the implementation of Green Tourism as a sustainable tourism type in Da Nang City after the Covid-19 pandemic and in the near future. Today, air pollution and the Covid-19 pandemic are urgent problems that people are facing to overcome and stabilize social life as well as the economy. With the title of Vietnam's National Green City (Danang city's e-portal, 2018), Da Nang - one of the most famous tourist cities in Vietnam, has many favorable conditions for the development of the “green tourism” model, contributing to the development of a sustainable green economy. We use qualitative research to establish the hypotheses in this research. In the quantitative research, data were collected from business owners dealing in accommodation and travel services in the tourism industry in Da Nang city through questionnaires. The data analysis methods used in this study are Cronbach and EFA methods, correlation, and regression. The results show that there are 4 factors: Cost, Green Awareness, Competitive Advantages, and Policy of Government affecting the implementation of the green tourism model in Da Nang. Most of the business owners providing accommodation and travel services in the tourism industry in Da Nang city are aware of the importance and potential of developing "green tourism" in Da Nang in the future.

ANALISIS BISNIS CENDERAMATA DAN JASA PERJALANAN WISATA MENGGUNAKAN BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS (BMC) DAN METODE PIECES

The use of information technology in the marketing of souvenirs and travel services based on the e-commerce concept can reach a wider market share via the internet. In the context of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, the dynamics of entrepreneurship are holistic, so they need to be studied contextually. This article aims to analyze the business processes of Souvenirs and Travel Services that are carried out conventionally using the Business Model Canvas to determine the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. Then analyze the aspects of Performance, Information, Economic, Control, Efficiency, and Services in Souvenirs and Travel Services businesses. This research uses descriptive qualitative methods. The data collection techniques used were in-depth interviews, observation, and document study. Meanwhile, data processing uses triangulation techniques. This study indicates that the adoption of information technology can support the operations of MSMEs in reducing marketing costs and providing convenience in terms of transactions and communication via digital platforms. Adopt the e-Commerce concept through the WordPress application, especially using the WooCommerce plugin and 3CX Live Chat on the website has made the transaction process and communication easier between sellers and consumers. The convergence between traditional and digital businesses can improve the performance of MSMEs.Pemanfaatan teknologi informasi dalam pemasaran bisnis cenderamata dan jasa perjalanan wisata berdasarkan konsep e-commerce dapat menjangkau pangsa pasar yang lebih luas melalui internet. Dalam konteks Usaha Mikro Kecil Menengah (UMKM), dinamika berwirausaha bersifat holistik sehingga perlu dikaji secara konstekstual. Artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis proses bisnis cenderamata dan jasa perjalanan wisata yang dilakukan secara konvensional menggunakan Business Model Canvas (BMC) untuk mengetahui kelebihan, kelemahan, ancaman dan peluang. Kemudian mengidentifikasi dan menganalisis aspek Performance, Information, Economic, Control, Efficiency, and Services (PIECES) pada usaha cenderamata dan jasa perjalanan wisata yang telah mengadopsi konsep e-commerce. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif deskriptif. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa adopsi teknologi informasi dapat mendukung operasional UMKM dalam mereduksi biaya pemasaran serta memberikan kemudahan dalam hal transaksi maupun komunikasi melalui platform digital. Adopsi konsep e-commerce melalui aplikasi WordPress, khususnya penggunaan plugin WooCommerce dan 3CX Live Chat dalam website CV. Xindotour telah memudahkan proses transaksi dan komunikasi antara penjual dan konsumen.

TECHNOLOGIES FOR TRAINING SPECIALISTS IN THE HOTEL AND CATERING INDUSTRY IN UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF LIFELONG LEARNING

This article is relevant, as staff training in the context of lifelong learning increases the value of travel services for customers, providing added value in the hotel and catering industry. The purpose of the paper is to study the technologies of training specialists in the hotel and catering industry in the context of lifelong learning for the formation of the life cycle of an employee in the hospitality industry. The research methodology is based on statistical analysis of indicators for distribution. The results demonstrate that there are differences in the technologies for training specialists in the hospitality industry in terms of such characteristics, as: the provider of educational services, the initial educational level, the position held by the specialist and the status in the society. The practical value of the research lies in the possibility of using the existing methodology of the life cycle of training a specialist in the practice of hotel and catering industry.

Building A Work Ethos To Strengthen The Independence And Resilience Of Smes During Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic is increasingly threatening the Indonesian economy (including West Java Province) and its impact can be seen clearly from the outbreak that erupted in early February 2020. Shops, retail, travel services, Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (hereinafter referred to as SMEs) and Small and Medium Industries (Many SMEs in West Java have closed. This study aims to build a work ethic to strengthen the Independence and Resilience of MSMEs during the Pandemic in Bekasi City. This type of research is descriptive qualitative that uses the type of research in the form of Document Study. The location of this research was carried out in MSMEs in the culinary field around Bekasi City starting in May 2021. Based on the results of a simple linear regression test, the results of this study concluded that the Covid-19 variable has an effect on microenterprise variables, small and medium. It is here every increase of one unit of will hamper the economy so that the income of micro, small and medium enterprises in Bekasi City decreases. The strategy of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises facing Covid-19 to continue their business continuity is to increase the sales volume of each SMEs by applying conventional marketing strategies to online marketing and using social media as an online channel

Exploring the Factors Influencing the Selection of Traditional Travel Agencies: A Case of Banjarmasin, Indonesia

Highly developed online facilities by travel agents have grown drastically over the past years. Internet is taking over the businesses of traditional travel agents in their existing as well as emerging markets. Due to the dynamic and diverse nature of technology, the travellers are seeking to optimize their travel attitude in an effective manner while implicating several threats. Amidst all changes, this study investigated the attitude of Indonesian travellers visiting traditional travel agents. A self-administrated online survey was used to collect the data from local travellers of Banjarmasin, Indonesia. A sample of 277 respondents showed a significant relationship between the expertise of travel agents, handling capacity, technological adoption towards visiting traditional travel agents. Interestingly, the social interaction factor has no significant influence. Further, the analysis identified that secure transaction shows a partial mediating effect between travellers visiting traditional travel agents and their habitual selection behaviour. The results of the study indicate that Indonesian travellers have an overall positive attitude towards traditional travel agencies due to their expertise and handling capacity of travel services. An important finding reveals transactional security as a vital factor in habitual selection behaviour of Indonesian travellers. In future, there is a necessity for a holistic approach towards the understanding of both demand and supply perspectives of travel services.

Tourism Experience and Construction of Personalized Smart Tourism Program Under Tourist Psychology

The present work aims to boost tourism development in China, grasp the psychology of tourists at any time, and provide personalized tourist services. The research object is the tourism industry in Macau. In particular, tourists' experiences are comprehensively analyzed in terms of dining, living, traveling, sightseeing, shopping, and entertaining as per their psychological changes using approaches including big data analysis, literature analysis, and field investigation. In this case, a model of tourism experience formation path is summarized, and a smart travel solution is proposed based on psychological experience. In the end, specific and feasible suggestions are put forward for the Macau tourism industry. Results demonstrate that the psychology-based smart travel solution exerts a significant impact on tourists' tourism experience. Specifically, the weight of secular tourism experience is 0.523, the weight of aesthetic tourism experience is 0.356, and the weight of stimulating tourism experience is 0.121. Tourists prefer travel destinations with excellent urban security and scenic authenticity. They give the two indexes comprehensive scores of 75.14 points and 73.12 points, respectively. The proposed smart travel solution can grasp the psychology of tourists and enhance their tourism experiences. It has strong practical and guiding significances, which can promote constructing smart travel services in Macau and enhancing tourism experiences.